Sci-Fi Storm

I finally got to see Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith today – hey, babysitters are expensive, and I don’t seem t get invited to premieres yet, unless they are in Los Angeles, which is a bit of a drive for a movie. Since I wouldn’t do a full review unless I can watch something with a review in mind, and my first viewing is always for enjoyment, here is a bit of my take on it, and feel free to post your (reasoned) opinions here. Why do some people detest this movie so much? Warning: spoilers may be present.

OK, so there are some down points. I don’t buy Anakin’s turning point. Too rushed and non-sensical. Mace Windu was out of character there, and Anakin stopped him from doing exactly what he himself did earlier, and his betrayal seems to happen WAY too quickly. And something was missing from the performance – Hayden doesn’t carry the emotion to the screen of being torn from his Jedi training vs. his love. Yeah, Lucas can’t get beyond the corny dialog in places. And on one seemingly notices Padme is pregnant the whole time.

And in order to tie in to the “future” episodes we know, there were a few unnecessaries: The battle on Kashyyyk for one seemed to me just so that Wookies could be in the movie. And C-3PO’s “fate” at the end was a cop-out the explain an inconsistency – and for it to make sense, shouldn’t the same have happened to R2-D2?

But as for the story, I think it was amazing, especially given the fact that you know the outcome of the movie. Anakin becomes Vader, Padme has twins which are split up and hidden, and the Empire begins. We know this. It’s how we get there that has to be exiting.

High points: the confrontation between Obi-Wan (looking more like the elder one we know) and Vader (I consider the turning point officially when he should be referred as such) – I think Ewan McGregor handled the dialog very well there at the end. I’m not so sure he would actually just leave him there though. And when Vader went to the temple and – well, that may be too much of a spoiler, but lets just say I was thinking, “No, he can’t…” even after his turn.

Low points, story wise: The Jedi seem invincible at times, and pushovers at others. The speed of some events – as mentioned Anakin’s turn, and the Senate embracing the transformation into an Empire, primarily.
Some SF cameos – at the end when Darth Vader joins the emperor on the bridge, note the imperial officer who walks away, looking very much like Peter Cushing did when he played Governor Tarkin in Episode IV – its Wayne Pygram, who played Scorpius in Farscape – playing Governor Tarkin. And I thought the blue Twi’lek (? I think) who told Senator Organa of the special Senate session was Ian McNeice (White Noise, Dune), but he’s not listed in the credits.

Simply, for me this movie far outweighs the previous two, and likely beats one of the first three (I’ve long been undecided how V and VI fit in in my favorites.)

So, aside from execution issues, what exactly makes you dislike this movie?